Sheet-separating mechanism for paper-feeding machines.



R. E. JONES. SHEET SEPABATING MEGHANISM FOR PAPER FEEDING:` MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB 29,31912.

1 ,063,037. f Patented May 2'?, 1913.

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R. E. JONES.

SHEET SEPARATING MBGHANISM FOR PAPER FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED Mums, 1912.

1,063,037. Patented May 27, 1913.

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R. E. JONES. SHEET SEPAEATING MEGEANISM EOE PAPER EEEDING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAB. 29, 1912.

1,063,037. Patented May 27, 1913.

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SHEET SBPARATING MEGHANISM FOR PAPER FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1912.

R. E. JONES. SHEET SEPARATING MEGHANISM FOR PAPER FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1912.-

1,063,037. Patented May 27,1913.

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To all whom, it may concern.'

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

RICHARD E JONES, OF PEARL RIVER, NEWl YORK, ASSIGNOB TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF PEA-RL RIVER, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-SEPARATING IlECHANISM FOR PAPER-FEEDING HACHIN ES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led March 29, 1912. .Serial No. 687,071.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Be it known that I, Baci-IARD iE. Jonas, =a citizen of the United States, residm at Pearl River, county of jRockland, and tate of New York, have invented certainV new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Separating Mechanisms for {Paper-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a specifi-` cation.

This invention relates more lespecially to vacuum sheet' separating `'mechanisms for machines which :feed sheets of paper and the like, and has for its primary object to provide in :a device of this character improved means for maintaining suiiicient suction in the cylinder lof ,the apparatus while said cylinder is -being `raised bodily to lift .a portion of the sheet- .to be fed.

A 'further object is to provide an improved snapper yoperating with the suction apparatus .1n preventing the feed of more than one sheetat a time.

Toward' the .attainment of these objects cation and -be specifically pointed out -1n .the

appended claims, my invention f contemplates an improved construction, combination and arrangement of `fpa-rts exemplified in the drawings in -a-n adaptation for -feeding sheets of cardboar-'d'l and the like.

.the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sheet separating device embodying 'my improvements; Fig. 2 is a similarview showing ythe parts in different positions-v; Fig. .3 isa rear -felevation of the same; Eig. 4 is a top plan view of the same;-

-F-ig. 5 isla detailed elevation of vportions of the device, -thefsuction lcylinder being shown in section and in raised position; Fig. 6 is `a-ra-gmelitary side elevation of the-same;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan View of the suction cylinder with portions of its support.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, this lembodiment :of my invention is for `the =most part supported from a bracket arm l, which maybe secured to a rigid portion of .an adjacent .frame or other suitable support. A guide block 2 Iis adjustably secured by a bolt 3 tothe-bracket arm 1. lVithin the guide block 2 is adjustably mounted a slide 4, provided at its upper end with a threaded boss 5 for :the reception of an adjusting screw 6,1 which isv journaled in the .upper end offt-he guideblock 2. A supporting apron or plate 7 is integrally rigidly 'formed with the slide 4 and is provided with a bearing 8 upon a cam shaft 9 Ato be lagain referred lto. Reciprocably mounted within a pair of band sockets `9 at the rear edge of the apron 7 is a pump cylinder 10, within which reciprocates a piston 11 .on the rlower end 'of 4a -rod 12, which is connected by a link 13 with one arm of a cam lever 14, said cam lever-being pivoted on a pin 15 carried by :the `apron 5 which projects laterally from the boss 5 at the upper end of the slide 4. Acum link 16 which is pivotally connected at 17 with the lever 14, is provided with -a cam roller 18 adjacent its lower end, which rides on a cam 19 secured tothe cam Shaft 9. A spring rod -20is pivotally connected at 21 With Athe forward end vof the lever 14, a

, spring 22 being mounted on the rod 20 between its pivot 21 and an abutment :23 to maintain .the lroller -\18 in engagement with the cam 19. -On the lower end .of the cylinder -10 is carried .a sucker 24, which is open-to :the .interior of the cylinder 10. A band 26 is clamped tothe outer wall of the cylinder 10,' a connecting link 27 connecting it to one arm Jof a .cylinder operatin lever 28, which is pivoted on a pin 29, which is also :carried by the apron 5. A link 30 which has its upper end pivotally connected at 31 with 'the lever 28 is provided adjacent its lower lend with a cam roller 32, which rides a. cam 33. For holding this cam roller against vits cam a spring rod 34 has its upper end pivotally connected at 35 with thel other arm' of the lever 28 and carries a spring 36 in abutment with the plate'23.

A snapper device to be used in the manner hereinafter pointed out, comprises a presser foot 37 depending from a connecting block 38, which ,is slidably mounted upof a horizontal rod 39. -As show-n in Fig. 4, said presser foot 37 .is carried -by the depending extremity of an L-shaped rod 40, which is releasably held in adjusted position in the block 38 by 'means of a set screar 41. The rear end of the rod 39 is secured .to one end of a short'bar 42, which is pivoted intermediately of its ends at 43 in adepending .bracket 44. The otherend of said bar is pivoted at 45 4to the curved lower end of a connectin rod 46, the upper end of which has an adjustable end 47 with a longitudinal slot 48, within which reciprocates a pin 49 carried by a lever 50. A-spring 51 carried by the spring rod 52 with its upper end sliding in a spring abutment 53, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,- is pivotally connected at 54 at its lower end with the bar 42. By these means the foot 37 is normally held against the :stack 55 of sheets, which are carried by a feed table of any suitable description. In-order to adapt the presser foot 37 to be raised at certain periods of the operation the lever 50V is pivotally mounted at 56 on the apron 7. A cam roller 57, carried by the lever 50, rides a cam 58 on t-hecam shaft 9. A spring rod 59, which is pivoted at 60 with one end of the lever'carrieswt spring 61 between its pivot 60 Aand the abutment 23 to hold the cam roller 57 in engagement with the` cam 58. On the lower end of a depending bracket arm 62 is pivoted at 63 a clamping foot 64. In order to raise and lower said footat certain intervals, a rod 65 is pivoted at 66 to the clamping foot- 64, the upper end of the rod 65 being adjustably connected with one end of the lever 50 in the manner shown best in Figs. 1 and'2. A stack retaining finger 66', which projects laterally from an irregular link 67 is pressed down on to the stack of sheets 55 by means of a spring (not shown on the drawings) which is mounted on the rod 68 between adjustable abutments 69.' This retaining nger 66 is thus maintained in this position during the operation of the machine. Inorder to maintain the connecting links 16 and 30 in proper position with respect to the cams 19 and 33 the lower ends of said links'are provided with suitable yokes; which straddle the cam shaft 9. Said cam shaft 9 is journaled at its outer end in a boss 70 carried by the outer end of a bracket 71. A universal coupling 72 serves to connect "the cam shaft 9 with a driving sleeve 73 with which it is extensibly connected.

The operation of my improved device will `now be readily understood andbrietly'stated is as follows: When the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the 'presser foot 37 is held to the stack 55 by the compression spring 51. At the same time, the sucker 24 is pressed against the uppermost sheet of. the stack by reason ofthe cylinder being in its lowermost position. As. the

cam 19 revolves with the shaft 9, the cam roller 18 by means of the link 16 raises the lever 14 into the position shown in Fig. 2 causing the piston 11 to partially exhaust the'cylinder 10 and sealing the top sheet to the sucker 24. As the cam 33 forces the lever 28 upwardly, the cylinder l0 is raised, the top sheet being lifted in the manner indicated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. Shortly previous to this action however, the cam 58 has 'raised the lever 50, which lifts the clamping foot or presser finger 64 Vwhile at the Vsame time permitting the spring 51 to force the lifting movement o `resser foot 37 down on to the stack 55.v bhortly after the piston and the cylinder have begun their upward movements, cam 58 drops from under the roller 57, permitting the compression spring 61 to overcome the compression spring 51, causing the lever 50 to dropl and to press the lever 64`down.

on to the next sheet underneath. At the same time the presser foot 37 is rapidly lifted and the sheet is then suitably disposed to be completely separated from the stack 55 by a blast of air or any other suitable means. An inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 will show that shortly after the sheet has thus been completely segregated from the stock 55, the caln 19 permits the lever 1 4 to drop to disengage the lifted sheet from the sucker 24. The action of the-cam 33, however, continues for a longer period to permit the sheet to be drawn from the stack.

What I vclaim' is:

l. In a device of the character described,

-an apron, a cylinder reciprocably. mounted adjacent one edge of said apron, a piston in said cylinder, a lever for reciprocating said cylinder, another lever forreciprocating said piston, and pivots for said levers projecting laterally, from said apron.

2. In a device of the character described, an apron, a cylinder reciprocably mounted on said apron, a lever pivotally mounted on a part rigid with said apron, and operatably connected to said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a lever pivotedv on a part 'rigid with said apron for reciprocating said piston within said cylinder, and means for adjusting the position of said'apron.

3. A sheet separator for feeding machines, comprising a vacuum cylinder provided with a sheet gripping sucker, a piston in said cylinder, lneans for lifting said cylinder, means for moving said piston to exhaust the air in said cylinder, said piston moving means being 'operative before the cylinder lifting means and continuin during and after the said cylinder and a snapper comprising a presser foot im inging the vstack prior to the movement o said piston and releasing its hold at approximately the initiation of the cylinder lifting movement.

4. In a sheet separator and feeding machine, a vertically adjustable apron, a cylinder reciprocably mounted on said apron, a cylinder reciprocating lever pivoted on said apron, a piston in said cylinder, a piston reciprocating lever pivoted on said apron,"a presser foot for a pile of sheets, an operating lever therefor pivoted on said apron, and a cam shaft j ournaled in said apron and having cams mounted thereon for respectively operating said levers.

5. In a sheet separator for feeding machines, a sheet lifting device, a presser foot normally pressed against a stack of sheets,

'der reciprocably mounted on said apron, a

cylinder reciprocating lever pivoted on said apron, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rez ciprocating lever pivoted on said apron, a presser foot for a pile of sheets, an operating lever therefor pivoted on said apron, a cam shaft journaled in said apron and having cams mounted thereon for respectively operating said levers, and alosty motion connection between said presser foot and the presser foot, operating lever.

7. In a sheet separator for feeding machines, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, a sucker carried by said cylinder, a clamping foot, a cam movement for raising and lowering said cylinder, a second cam movement for reciprocating said piston therein during its-movement, athird cam movement for raising said clamping foot at the beginning of the upward movement of saidv cylinder, a presser foot normally impinging the top sheet of a stack from which sheets are to be fed, and a rod connecting said presser foot with the cam movement for operating said clamping foot, said rod having a piny and slot connection with said cam movement to permit relative differential movement between said clamping foot and presser foot. f

.8. In a sheet separator for feeding machines, the combination with a sheetlifting device, of means for raising and lowering saiddevice, a clamping foot, an operating lever positively connected to said clamping foot, a presser foot operating bar pivoted intermediately of its ends,

a presser foot mounted thereon on one side of its pivot, and a connecting link connected to said operating bar on the other side of said pivot, said connecting link being provided with a pin and slot connection with the lever which operates the clamping foot.

RICHARD E. JONES.

wWitnesses:

ROBERT H. ARMSTRONG, ELIZABETH FREEMAN. 

